Jewelry articles may often be displayed on stands, cards and in boxes. Often one card or stand can exhibit several articles, usually of the same type, i.e., earrings, rings, brooches, etc. Jewelry boxes often contain a card or other insert with the pin holes, scoring, or slits necessary to display a specific article. All of the jewelry display cards and boxes may be manufactured in large quantities at factories and may be sent, on order, to jewelry dealers, department and other specialty stores. Display cards for use by high-end stores and for insertion into jewelry boxes may often be made from flocked card stock to simulate velvet.
Factory made jewelry display cards may be made by stamping or striking the perforations, cut lines, fold lines and tabs, into large pieces of cardstock. The cards may often be assembled with boxes to hold and display the jewelry items. A number of display cards may often be struck from a single large piece of card stock. The individual cards may be outlined by perforations or score cut lines so that they may be separated from the large piece of card stock. This separation may be accomplished at the point of manufacture, or the separation may be made at the final destination.
DiDomenico, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,878 teaches a display assembly whereby a plurality of display cards is struck from a single sheet of card stock. The resulting composite sheet can be used to display a number of pairs of earrings. Each of the individual cards can display either post or wire hook earrings. The earrings can be packaged and shipped on the composite sheet. At the retail facility, the individual cards can be separated from the composite sheet and displayed by being suspended over a bar or rod. DiDomenico's individual cards have ears on which to hang the earrings and shaped tabs which can serve as hooks to hang the cards. These composite sheets are made by large stamping machines.
Garganese teaches a card assembly having three layers adhered one to the other using an adhesive. Double pieces are machine scored into large cardstock and then separated from the whole, folded over and assembled. A retaining card holds a ring between the two layers. Each assembly is used to securely hold and display a single ring. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,117) In U.S. Pat. No. 777,823, Webster et al. teach a single card stamped with a series of pairs of vertical slits that can be used to hold a number of rings. Each ring is pushed into the opening formed by depressing the piece between each pair of slits. The ring is held in place from behind the card by a fastener. This card is designed to hold multiple rings. Weil discloses a suitably stamped card that can be used to display a series of like items. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,237,266) In both of the latter two patents the cards cannot be further separated and are not designed to display a single item. Friedman, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,699, teaches a display card that holds a single jewelry item or a pair of earrings. This individual card is suitably scored so that it can be folded to display the item or to form a box enclosure containing the item. When folded to form the box the jewelry can be seen through openings in the top of the box. All of these display cards and assemblies must be stamped from large pieces of cardstock by machine at appropriate facilities and therefore must be ordered in substantial quantities. They are for use by jewelry factories and large-scale retailers.
Jewelry making has become a widespread craft extending from designers making pieces for friends and family to experienced craftsmen whose pieces are sold at craft fairs, juried craft shows and local boutiques. All of these designers must have a means to display their pieces at the point of sale, as well as to store and transport them. Private designers usually do not make many of one jewelry item, but may make earrings and then a matching necklace or pin, i.e., a variety of jewelry items. For these craftsmen, purchasing large numbers of display cards can be expensive and impractical. Additionally, to have such display cards properly scored and also printed with specific indicia is cost prohibitive. Private jewelry designers would benefit from having a personal device to make jewelry display cards for their individual pieces close at hand and also quick and easy to use.
One such personal device may be a hand held punch. Hand held punches have been available for a great many years. The most familiar may be the small punch used to make holes in paper so the paper can be inserted in to a loose leaf notebook. Today there are also punches that are used to make decorative cutouts of many shapes such as hearts, flowers, toy shapes and letters of the alphabet. These may be used by crafters and scrapbook devotees, as well as children making a variety of school projects. Most of these punches are designed to make the cutout. That is, the specifically shaped cutout itself is the desired goal of using these craft punches.
Chan, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,739,936, teaches a punch of a type used to make shapes such as a heart. This punch is designed with a wheel limiting the extent of movement between the upper and lower jaws of the die holder or support system so that the die, the cutting element, does not sustain damage during use through contact with the lower jaw. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,227, Chan describes the procedure used to make an injection molded base for a hand held punch. His base is made of a plastic and cast in one piece. A circular cutting blade is used to cut a horizontal slot into the base through which the paper is inserted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,248, Lee describes a punch to produce decorative cutouts. This punch incorporates a resilient ejector in the form of a band around the male cutter to assist in pushing out the desired cutout. Lee uses a single female die that mates with the male cutter. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0039590 submitted by Weng describes a punch having a lever that can be folded when the punch is not in use. This punch also incorporates a single die through which the cutting element moves.
None of the prior art hand held punches are designed to make a jewelry display card. None of the prior art hand held punches produce the necessary slots and holes in an arrangement to enable a punched card to hold and display an article of jewelry.
There is a need for individual jewelry designers to be able to make their own jewelry display cards on which to mount their products. There is a need for such jewelry display cards to be made as needed to fulfill the individual requirements of each designer. There is a need for a personal device to make jewelry display cards so the designer does not have to buy and store many different cards in large quantities. There is a need for a personal device to make jewelry display cards from card stock having indicia printed thereon as determined by the individual jewelry designer. There is a need for an inexpensive and expeditious means to make such jewelry display cards.